Abstract

We show that there is no unique form of the cross-spectral density matrix of completely polarized light beams. We present three kinds of such matrices, each of which represents a beam that is completely polarized at every point. Some of the beams do not imitate monochromatic beams, in contrast to the usual assumption made in polarization optics.

© 2009 Optical Society of America

Elementary-field expansions of genuine cross-spectral density matrices

Rosario Martínez-Herrero and Pedro M. Mejías
Opt. Lett. 34(15) 2303-2305 (2009)

Correlation matrices of completely unpolarized beams

Franco Gori, Jani Tervo, and Jari Turunen
Opt. Lett. 34(9) 1447-1449 (2009)

Condition for Gaussian Schell-model beam to maintain the state of polarization on the propagation in free space

Xinhui Zhao, Yong Yao, Yunxu Sun, and Chao Liu
Opt. Express 17(20) 17888-17894 (2009)

Reply to Comment on “Can a light beam be considered to be the sum of a completely polarized and a completely unpolarized beam?”

Emil Wolf
Opt. Lett. 34(7) 1002-1002 (2009)

Experimental determination of electric cross-spectral density matrix and generalized Stokes parameters for a laser beam

Bhaskar Kanseri and Hem Chandra Kandpal
Opt. Lett. 33(20) 2410-2412 (2008)